News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-01
Igor VitOvitch'S Ice Fort.
BY FRED aIYRoN COLBY,

BY FRED 1IYRoN COLBY.
Wolf stories are abundant in Siberia
and many Of them are of fearful char
acter that is quite sufficient to deter tn,
strongest-hearted from wishing to have
any dealings with them. In the mos
northerly part of Siberia the animal,
swarm over the country, particularly il
the wooded parts, in large packs, some
tunes of even thousand or upwards
Ihey attack men and beasts indiscrimi
nateiy, and even have been known tc
make an attack upon some of the smaller
villages, where their numbers enabled
them to do great deal of havoc before
they could finally be driven off.
But all the aggressiveness is not
allowed to be on their side, for the mer
OF the country seek every opportunity
10 dImlnlsh their numbers, from various
motives. Very naturally the people.
Tor their own protection, desire to GET
rld OF as many as possible, and bounty
pald IN some quarters upon every ami
mai killed is an additional incentive to
the work of execution. Then their
hides can be tanned into excellent
leather, and are in great demand and
bring high prices. The fur is also very
useful to the natives, being heavy and
warm, and is much used for trimming
the large hood which the Northern 81
berIans are accustomed to wear.
OF course, in a country so LARGELY
INFESTED by these brutes, there are pro
tess1onsd hunters, whose sole business is
that OF trapping and killing wolves.
Stepan DIousH was one of these, a
big, slx-foot fellow, who was a black
smith by trade, but during his later
years had devoted himself to wolf hunt
ing, In which he had been wonderfully
successful. During the six years he had
been engaged In the business he had
grown rich, and it was the unanimous
verdict In and around Tobolsk that he
had slaughtered more wolves than anv
other man in Siberia.
But Stepan always said that he didn't
know about that. Perhaps Igor Vito
witch could tell better.
Igor was the son of border farmer.
who during the last two winters had
helped Stepan in his wolf batting. He
was stout, ruddy-faced youth of seven
teen or eighteen years, with dark hair
and eyes that he had taken from some
Mongol ancestor who had swept over
the country In the train of Genghis
hhan or some of his successors. But
he was true Slav enough in vigor and
courage. He was strong as full-grown
man, and had the inherent obstinacy
and boldness of his race. These
Qualities had carried him into more
than one adventure, and had won
She thorough appreciation of Stepan
Diouski.
The preceding winter, in particular.
Igor had been the hero of an adventure
which had not yet ceased to be the talk
and wonder at the fireside of serf, william
or citizen.
1t had been cold, hard winter, and
the wolves were unusually numerous
ana 1eroclous. Stepan and Igor had
Dfought IN at one time over six hundred
nldes OF the fierce beasts which thew had
trapped. The animals were caught in
various ways, sometimes by poisoned
bait, and again by traps.
Inc commonest kind of trap, and the
one used by Stepan and Igor, was con-
stucted as follows:
a high wooden fence was made. in
closing circular pen. Outside of this
fence was another similar one, perhaps
two or three feet distant from the first
one running entirely around it. In the
centre OF this pen is placed live deer
or pig. In the outer fence is a small
opening, with swinging door attach
ed, which is left seductively open.
The wolves scent the live bait in the
centre of the pen and gather around the
Infsl0STlFQ IN
After vainly endeavoring to leap over
the protecting barrier and get at it,
wolf finally finds the door standing
open, and at once enters in. The pas
sage between the inner and outer fence
is wide enough to enable him TO move
ahead comfortably, but toonarrow to ad-
NIT OF his turning round.
BaVlng completed the circle of the
pen, he arrives at his starting point and
hnds his further progress completely
barred by the door, which still stands
open as when he entered
flushing against this, he shuts it close
IN order to get by, and thus effectually
makes himself a prisoner.
Then the crafty huntsman, who has
all the time been concealed within,
shoots or spears the animal from the
top Of the fence, draws his carcass
within, so as to save it, and opens the
outer door again to receive the next
visitor.
When wolves are plenty two men or
more III one of these pens have very
busy time for a number of days, and are
scarcely able to slaughter or skin the
animals as fast as they would like to
rush in Inconsistency to their death.
1t not infrequentIy happens that the
men are kept in these pens for a number
of days at time, being unable to get out
on account of wolves, which surround
them and would tear them to pieces the
moment they made their appearance.
The only thing for the hunters to do
under such circumstances is to keep on
trapping and slaughtering until the ami
mails are all killed, or, starved out and
disappointed, abandon their position
and scurry off to another part of the
couI try.
Stepan and Igor had just this expert
ence ON two occasions that winter, and
the animals in that immediate vicinity
were getting reduced in numbers.
Their last excursion they made in
March, going off into the country
score of miles or so.
Before they had their pen wholly
male there came q sudden thaw. Rain
and the warmer temperature melted